Automatic telephone switch



Sept. 2, 1924.

J. N. REYNOLDS AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH Filed July 21 1921 2 Sheena-Sheet 1 Sept. 2 1924.

J. N. REYNOLDS AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH Filed July 21 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,507,140 ";P;AjrI-:NT OFFICE.

JOHN N. REYNOLDS, o wwms, AssIGNoit ,To WESTERN TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK; N. Y., A coitPdR'ATIoN 01'? NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCTI.

Application filed July 21, i921. Serial No. 486,367.

To all whom it may concern: v I Be it known that I, JOHN Nnwennnr REYN- OLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenwich, in the county of Fairfleld,

' State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Telephone Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to switching apparatus for use in automatic telephone exchange systems and the like, andmoreparticularly to an improved form of cross bar switch, its object being simplicity and reliability of operation and economy in manufacture and maintenance.

For simplicity of disclosure the invention is herein described as a line switch for making connection between any one of a munber of incoming lines and one of a number of outgoing lines.

It is adaptable to the switching system disclosed in the British Patent No. 183,438, issued to Western Electric Company Limited, .accepted September 6, 1923, and, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, is capable of wide application in automatic switching systems generally.

The invention in its broader aspects com- -prises coordinate rows of stationary and movable contact member groups with selectively controlled operating mechanism whereby each group of movable contact members may be brought into electrical contact with an group of stationary contact members, the actuating mechanism being so formed as to produce a substantial rubbing action on each contact member. s I

Both sets of contact members are prefer- 4 ably in the form of bare wires, the stationary wires being supported in the form of an open grid on transverse strips of insulation, the movable wires extendingthrough said grid and normally held out of contact with the wires thereof by means of a plurality of small cards of insulation, one of which is individual to each movable contact group. Selecting and operating mechanism is 7 provided whereby any card may be moved independently of the others to bring its associated wires into engagement with the adjacent grid wires.

In the case of a line switch, for example, a plurality of trunk bars are provided, each of which is associated with a row of flexible contact wires or, springs. Each trunk bar has a plurality of laterally extending flexible arms, one for each set of associated contact springs. The trunk bars together with the laterally extending arms are rotatable through a small angle by individual electromagnets or by other suitable operating means.

Upon ro tation of a trunk bar out of-its normal position, the free end of each hiterally extending arm,,tl1ereo1i is moved into operative position with respect to one of the cards above mentioned through which the several contact springs comprising each set extend. I

Associated with each set of line conductors in the grid is a line bar extending at. right angles to the, trunk bars and provided with a plurality of late-rally extending rigid arms, each of which is associated with one of the flexible armsof a trunk bar and adapted to engage the latter upon conjointoperation of the respective trunk and line bars. The line bars together ,with their laterally extending arms are likewise rotatable inr'esponseto the energization of an electromagnet, one of which is provided for each line bar. 7

Other featuresof invention will appear from the detailed description given below in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 .is a perspective view of a portionot the switch, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a. @1088 sectional view takenat right angles to the gridconductors and Fig.3 is a detail view of one of the flexible trunk her arms.

The sets of grid conductors comprising the wires 1,2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 8', etc., are securely fastened at their ends to flxedmembers, not shown, and are p'referably woven in and out between the insulating strips 5, as shown inFig. 1 7

Supports 6 and Tare of insulating material, and are disposed at right angles'to the direction of the length of the grid conductors, and on them are mounted the flexible wire contact springs 8, 9, 10, 11 and 8, 9,

710i, 1 1' etc. The supports 6 and 7 may be of c ns erab e engt n ay carryany desired number of setsof conjtact springs ,1 11., etc, pen'd ngnponi h sw tch capacity desired. For simplicity of illustration, however, only two such sets are shown on each of the supports 1n the partial view of Fig. 1 and 81K sets on the view shown in'Fig. 2. The free ends of each set. of contact springs .8, 9, 10, 11, etc, extend tl'ir'o'ugh oblique apertures 12 in a tie member or card 12, each of which is mounted .on flat springs 13 and 14, said flat springs being fixed at one end portion to the sup' port 6. The free end 13 of spring 13 is bent to a Z shape-and normally rests on the -topmost-conductor of its associated set of gridconductors. The springs 13 and 14 are adjusted normally to hold the cards 12 and contact springs down out of'contact with the grid-conductors In F'g. 1,131181'8 are shown only two supports 6 and 7, but in practice, there would be a number of these bars depending upon theswitcli capacity desired.

Individually associated with each of the supports 6 and 7 is a bar 15 which is journalled at its end portions in bearings not shown: V is an armature 16 which is arranged to be 1 attracted by electromagnet 17 whereby the Securely attached to each bar 15 bar 15 is rotated througha small angle.

' In the case of a line switch chosen for illustrating the invention, the springs or wires 8, 9,10, 11, and 8, 9, 10, 11, etc.,

--of one vertical row are connected in mulductors. g V The energization of an" electromagnet 17 tiple and form multiple terminals of a set of trunk conductors, while each set of horizontal wires 1, 2, 3, 4-1n the grid form the terminals of a set of subscribers l1ne conassociated with a given set 01": trunk conductors, sets that trunk forseizure by thenext subscribers liiie calli'ng as'follows: The

- armature 16 is attracted-thereby rotating the bar to move all of the rods 23 carried thereby'into position beneath the cards 12 which support the various groups of multiple trunk terminals 8, 9," 10, 11, and 8', 9, 10, 11, etc.,belonging to that trunk.

hen a subscriber calls, themagnet 26,

for. example, individual theretowill be en-' BlfglZGCl and by attracting its armature will 'rotate the line bar 24'. This rotation *raises' all the operating arms 27 carried by the line bar. The arm 27 which is located I at the point-of crossing of the line bar 24 and the trunk bar-15 of the trunk which has been set for seizure will, oii-being raised,

encounter the selecting rod 23 which is in position'beneath the card 12 at that point, and will raise the card forcing the conductors 8, 9", 10, and 11 intoengagement with the line conductors 1, .2, 3 and 4 respectively. The card 12 is provided with diagonal slots 12 so that a lateral sliding action isproduced on the gridconductor which in sures a clear'and reliable contact. Owing to the diagonal arrangement of the grid con- Furthermore, the rod 23 being flexible, trunk bar 15 can return to normal under the influence of spring 18. portant in some applications of the switching structure of this invention in that it permits a second actuation of the trunk bar without disturbing theexisting connection. ,Vhat is claimed is:

' 1.111 a switching mechanism, a plurality of sets of conductors arranged in parallelrows, a plurality of sets of movable contact members arranged in rows coordinate'to said rows of conductors, a plurality of sets of movable contacts corresponding to and having their ends exteiidnig through-said movable contact members, each of said movable This feature is imcontact sets, being adjacent to one of said sets of conductors, a selecting bar for each row of movable contact members, a plurality of arms on each of said selecting bars, said arms associated with said movable contact members individually, but normally out of operable relation therewith, means for operating said selecting bars-individually to move said arms into operable relation with their respectively associated movable contact members, and means including said arms for individually operating said movable contact members to effect engagement between said contact sets and the ad acent conductors.

2. Ina switching mechanism, a plurality of-set's ofstationary conductors, aplurality of rows of movable contact members disposed coordlnately to said stationary conductors, a plurality of rows of movable contacts corresponding to and having their ends extending through said movable contact' nembers, each of said rows of movable contacts divided into a plurality of sets, and each set of each row associated with a different set ofstationary conductors, a rotatablev bar for each row of movable contact members, a plurality of laterally extending arms on each of said bars, each of said armsiassociated individually with one of saidm'ovable contact members, means for rotating said bars individually, other rotatable bars, each individual to one of said sets of stationary conductors, a plurality of laterally-extendingarmson each of said last 7 mentioned bars, means for rotating said last mentioned bars, the conjoint rotation of any one of said first mentioned bars and any one of said last mentioned bars being effective to move one of said members to in turn move a set of said movable contacts into engagement with its associated stationary conductors.

3. In a switching mechanism, a plurality of sets of fixed conductors arranged in an open grid, a plurality of sets of movable conductors arranged in rows at right angles to said grid conductors and extending through said grid, each movable conductor crossing one of said grid conductors but normally out of contact therewith, a selecting bar individual to each row of movable conductor sets, an operating bar individual to each set of grid conductors, means for actuating said bars individually, and means whereby the conjoint actuation of one of said selecting bars and one of said operating bars establishes a connection between a set of movable conductors and a set of grid conductors at their crossing point.

4. In a switching mechanism, a plurality of sets of fixed conductors arranged in an open grid, a plurality of sets of movable conductors arranged in rows at right angles to said grid conductors and extending through said grid, a movable support for each set of movable conductors normally maintaining said conductors out of contact with the grid conductors, a selecting bar individual to each row of movable conductors, an operating bar individual to each set of grid conductors, and means acting on said support and brought into operation by the conjoint actuation of one of said selecting bars and one of said operating bars to move the conductors supported thereby into engagement with a set of grid conductors,

5. In a switching mechanism a fixed contact bank comprising a plurality of sets of parallel conductors, a plurality of sets of movable conductors arranged in rows at right angles to said bank conductors and extending through said bank, each movable conductor crossing one of said bank conductors but normally out of contact therewith, a movable support for each set of movable conductors, a selecting bar common to each row of movable conductors, a selecting arm on said bar individual to each movable support in said row, an operating bar common to each set of bank conductors, an operating arm thereon for each set of movable conductors crossing said set of bank conductors, means for actuating a selecting bar to bring its selecting arms into position for operating the movable supports individual to said bar, means for actuating an operating bar to bring its arms into cooperative relation with those of its associated selecting arms which have been moved to operating position, the conjoint actuation of one of said selecting bars and one of said operating bars serving to establish a connection between a set of movable conductors and a set of bank conductors at their crossing point.

6. In a. switching mechanism, a plurality of rows, each comprising a plurality of sets of contact springs, rows of sets of fixed conductors disposed coordinately to said first mentioned rows, each of said sets of contact springs associated with one of said sets of fixed conductors, a tie member for each of said sets of contact springs, a bar associated with each of said first mentioned rows, a plurality of arms on said bar each associated with one of said tie members but normally out of operable relation thereto, means for operating said bars individually for moving said arms into operable relation to said tie members, other bars, each individual to one of said rows of fixed conductors, a plurality of arms on each of said last mentioned bars. means for operating said last mentioned bars individually, each of said last mentioned arms being associated with one of said first mentioned arms and adapted to engage the latter and move it together with its associated tie member to effect the contact of its associated springs with a set of fixed coir ductors.

7. In a switching mechanism, a plurality of sets of fixed conductors arranged in an open grid, a plurality of sets of movable conductors arranged in rows at right angles to said grid conductors and extending into said grid, each movable conductor being associated with one of said grid conductors but normally out of contact therewith, a selecting bar individual to each row of movable conductor sets, an operating bar indi vidual to each set of grid conductors, means for actuating said bars individually, and means whereby the conjoint actuation of one of said selecting bars and one of said operating bars establishes a connection between a set of movable conductors and a set of grid conductors.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of July A. D., 1921.

JOHN N. REYNOLDS. 

